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Thread: 2010 impala manual swap

  1. #1
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    2010 impala manual swap

    hello !
    new to this forum and hp tuners. so i apologize if this post is in the wrong location or if this info has been covered somewhere else. if so i am unable to locate it.
    anyway ,
    i am collecting the parts to swap a 5 speed manual into a 2010 impala 3.5 4t65e . ive done several older w-bodies before, and im not concerned in the slightest on the mechanical aspects.
    my concern is obviously the pcm/tcm configuration. since it wants to see the input and output vss, and even the wrong ratio automatic gives it fits with all of the torque management and traction control bs.
    it is my understanding that it uses a E37 pcm but no manual calibrations for this car ever existed . however the hhr and cobalt use the same pcm with a manual trans. so at least in theory it is possible.
    is there a auto/manual switch in the pcm? can i delete all of the auto info out of it ? can i copy the manual portions or the cobalt/hhr calibration into the impala calibration?
    ive done a reasonable amount of tuning on other systems before. but mostly megasquirts and old prom gm computers. and some of the early 6800 series gm flash computers.
    i have no idea how these "new" ones are set up . i dont want to go too far down the rabbit hole . just the simplest solution that will make the car drive reasonable well. not concerned with squeezing every last horsepower out of it .
    it seems that hp tuners supports this pcm . so what do i need to buy from hp tuners to get started? and has anyone reading this done anything similar in this year with this pcm ?
    any info is greatly appreciated
    thank you

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by newguyabc View Post
    hello !
    however the hhr and cobalt use the same pcm with a manual trans. so at least in theory it is possible.

    is there a auto/manual switch in the pcm? can i delete all of the auto info out of it ? can i copy the manual portions or the cobalt/hhr calibration into the impala calibration?

    thank you
    Unfortunate news. You would need to find an OE calibration for a manual 3.5L V6 vehicle to have any hope of this working. I don't believe this exists. No, there's no one switch for auto / manual, and no, you can't just delete the auto info out of it, nor can you copy the info from a different vehicle that uses a 4 cylinder engine.

  3. #3
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    just an update for anyone doing a future search ..
    did this swap , used a 97 cavalier 2200 isuzu mk7 transmission, clutch, flywheel, slave cylinder , hydraulic line, shifter and cables all basically a direct bolt in. raised shifter off floor about 2 inches.
    a 2010 malibu 2.4 mh8 jackshaft . needed to make bracket to bolt to engine . length and splines on both ends correct.
    swap passenger side cv (male) to driver side. swap inner tulip from original driver side cv (female) to another passenger side stock cv .
    90s beretta clutch master cylinder . oem hole in firewall same as gen 1 w body. was repurposed for hood release cable and headlight harness. both moved lower, drilled bolt holes and mounted slave.
    made bracket to mount gen 1 w body clutch pedal .
    made bracket to mount gen 1 w body getrag 5 speed mount. nearly direct bolt on , bracket to level.
    welded plate in corner of subframe for trans mount.
    "W" pin on 4t65e needs to grounded to start. with just this grounded , car will start , run and drive but only rev to 4k.
    pulling tcm fuse ,grounding correct prndl wires for either d,3,2,or 1 and "W" wire . car will start and run and drive without any issues , however will set P0851 p/n switch low . and not allow a restart until code is cleared
    wired a DPDT relay to ground "W" wire and prndl wires for park with clutch pressed. or to ground wires for drive when it is not .
    only codes set is for ign b+ to tcm . no other trans codes set , no other codes set .few thousand miles so far no real issues.traction control is a little aggressive around corners if the tires spin.
    speedometer identical to before swap . cruise control works . spark advance is probably not ideal, but not objectionable. no stalling ,weird hesitations or surging anywhere.
    did absolutely no edits to ecm ,tcm , bcm programming 100% stock e37/t42 2010 impala gm calibrations.

    this was literally a weekend project to get driveable and a few more hours here and there to clean up loose ends .
    i was completely shocked at the utter lack of knowledgeable info on this swap anywhere on the internet .
    mostly garbage and complete nonsense . like " this swap would be nearly impossible, it would be easier to convert to RWD..."

    so anyone searching , dont believe the b.s. and have at it !!

  4. #4
    Advanced Tuner Shrek's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by newguyabc View Post
    ... i was completely shocked at the utter lack of knowledgeable info on this swap anywhere on the internet .
    mostly garbage and complete nonsense . like " this swap would be nearly impossible, it would be easier to convert to RWD..."

    so anyone searching , dont believe the b.s. and have at it !!

    If a vehicle will only be used "off road", then cobbling it together using duct tape and baler twine may be an option. This approach does not constitute "knowledge", but rather foolishness.

    I recall watching a YouTube video where a fellow used multiple household light switches to manually shift a 4L60 (or 4L80) electronic transmission.

    If a vehicle will be used on a public roadway, then liability becomes a significant issue.
    No licensed automotive facility would use such an approach, neither would any custom build shop.

    Have you informed your insurance company about the modifications to your vehicle ? If you ever do so, it is likely that you will not be able to get liability insurance coverage.

  5. #5
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    not sure what got your panties in a bunch there , champ ...
    what in my description constitutes "bailing wire and duct tape"? outside of 4 bolts and 3 flat pieces of 1/4 inch aluminum. literally every part i used was gm oem parts
    actually hooking up the clutch switch so it dosent start in gear? using a relay to change logic states in the ecm ? leaving out the tcm fuse ? what is so egregious here ??
    if i spent $3,000 on a cnc superduper swap kit where those 3 pieces of aluminum where cut and drilled in a mill instead of a bandsaw and a drill press would that make it better?
    have you never swapped an engine? fabbed a bracket ? used a part from a different vehicle because the original one was poorly designed ?
    have you seen what the fiero guys do ?
    isnt the whole point of this whole forum about "modified" vehicles??

  6. #6
    easiest solution would be to retrofit and adapt the harness and everything from an e67 with the right servo number and flash a g6 6 speed tune file. you could then adapt all the tables and options to fit your LZ4 instead of the LZ9 but have manual capability. the LZ9 and LZ4 are externally identical and use the same block and sensors. or you could start with an LZ9 car to begin with but i know thats counterproductive lol there are a few manual LZ4 3.5L and LZ9 3.9Ls installed in fieros running the e67 standalone (mine being on of them; 08 uplamder LZ9 with an 06 impala e67 ecu running the 06 g6 manual map with a 5 speed in a 1988 fiero gt). big difference here is we disable all the traction control and torque management. but utilizing the e67 stuff from an impala could let you retain all of that and make the bcm/vats/etc. happy while having a manual option.

  7. #7
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    Do you have any pictures or videos. This is something I?m planning on doing in the future!

  8. #8
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    I have a LZ4 3500 running on a E38 PCM with a manual gear box and everything works there are a lot of thing disabled anyway I can attach my tuning for reference

    I have to try to disable all torque management anyway

    this is may carIMG_5342 (1).jpg

    regards
    ps. next step I want to had a turbocharger
    Attached Files Attached Files
    Paolo
    Grifun mid engined V6 3500 LZ4 manual trans